The present invention relates to footwear and the like, and more particularly to footwear having-an upper portion thereof adapted to be detachable from the sole.
Recently, it has become increasingly popular, especially among children, to wear athletic shoes. This popularity has spurred the growth of a substantial industry supplying such shoes. While athletic shoes have been designed for specific activities such as basketball, tennis, running, walking etc., other users choose a shoe for fashion. Some of the important considerations for such consumers are: brand name, materials and fabrics used, color, and ornamentation. Ornamental design has become an increasingly important factor in the popularity of an athletic shoe as can be seen by the variety of designs which have been on the increase over the years.
Consumers of these products have encountered problems which have not been effectively addressed heretofore. Firstly, when the uppers get dirty and stained, there is no effective means of cleaning them thoroughly and efficiently. If athletic shoes are put into the washer and dryer, the longevity of the shoe is significantly decreased.
Secondly, the price of athletic shoes has risen considerably over the years. If one wants to buy a new design, one must buy a whole new shoe rather than buying uppers separately which in effect would be more economical.
Thirdly, owning several pair of shoes is cumbersome and requires a relatively large amount of storage space.
Finally, frequently when the shoes are used in strenuous athletic endeavors, the soles may wear out before the uppers. It would be beneficial to facilitate replacement of such worn out soles. Alternatively, due to technical advances in the area of materials for soles increasing the longevity of use thereof, users, who wear athletic shoes for less strenuous leisure activities, find their uppers wear out before the soles thereby increasing the need to be able to change the upper.
Heretofore, attempts have been made to design athletic shoes having a detachable outersole or the entire sole itself for the purpose of using one upper on a variety of soles; each sole being designed for a different activity. However, the prior art has not found an acceptable method of attaching a new sole and heel to a lightweight athletic shoe. Not only has the prior art not found an acceptable attachment means enabling the sole and upper to be detached, the prior art has missed a major market in the athletic shoe industry---consumers who purchase shoes for fashion and ornamentation.
It has been previously proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,693 to provide a slide fastener or zipper for use in attaching the upper and sole of footwear. However, there are several disadvantages to using a zipper as at attachment means for shoes. The structural integrity of the zipper for securing the upper to the sole is specious at best. Since athletic shoes absorb considerable amounts of stress and shock when used, zippers have a tendency to burst open when put under significant stress. Additionally, the teeth of the zipper can be damaged in a variety of ways rendering it useless. Since athletic shoes take a considerable amount of abuse and stress under normal wear, these factors raise serious questions with regard to the durability of the teeth and strength of the zipper as a whole.
Additionally, even though most zippers have a built-in lock, when bumped, they can tend to slip from the locked position and open, compromising the attachment means. Zippers on shoes are especially susceptible to this hazard. Although U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,693 shows a keeper strap devised to protect the pull tab of the zipper from unlocking, this strap detracts from the ornamental design of the shoe. In addition, the zipper itself overemphasizes the attachment means and detracts from the ornamental design of the shoe. Furthermore, the zippers are generally not water resistant and liquid passes through them easily. While a zipper provides an easy means of attachment, when considering the amount of shock and stress encountered by an athletic shoe, the durability and the security of this fastening means is clearly suspect.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel attachment device for engagement between the upper and sole of an article of footwear.
It is also an object to provide such an attachment device which allows the article of footwear to be cleaned and washed easily and thoroughly by hand or machine without weakening the structure of the shoe significantly.
Another object is to provide an attractive attachment device which allows an economical means of purchasing a variety of ornamental upper designs and colors, all readily removable or interchangeable.
Yet another object is to provide such an attachment device which will not slip open when hit thereby eliminating the need for additional security straps or devices to prevent the attachment from opening.
Still another object is to provide such an attachment device which is water resistant and is a means of maximizing the use of the sole of the shoe.
A further object is to provide such an attachment device which may be readily and economically fabricated and which exhibits a long life in service.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.